This invention relates to a feeding mechanism positioned in the base of a buttonhole sewing machine for advancing, dwelling and reversing material in which a buttonhole is formed.
Modern sewing machines have automatic controls for positioning and sewing cloth. Large scale production of shirts and other articles of clothing has created needs for industrial sewing machines that do not sacrifice high quality and precision for speed.
Industrial sewing machines need to operate at a rapid pace for extended periods of time. Down time due to part failure or repair must be minimized. Machines having only a few parts are preferred over machines with greater numbers of parts because the occurrence of breakdown decreases as the number of parts decreases. Simpler designs require lower maintenance. Sewing machines for factory use must also have designs that facilitate access. Needs exist for machines that allow for easy access. Efficiency and productivity mandate that multiple components of a single mechanism be positioned and connected in one easily accessible unit.
Sewing buttonholes into a shirt requires precision. Industrial sewing machines need feeding mechanisms that operate in forward, reverse and neutral feed positions to make appropriate buttonhole stitches quickly. The cloth must be firmly held to a plate capable of moving quickly and consistently. Buttonhole stitching needs to be automatic and precise and needs to require no human intervention or else productivity is sacrificed.
For industrial applications, sewing machines need to operate at high speeds. Mechanisms for rotating and positioning cloth need to be compatible with modern sewing machines to realize the benefits of existing technology that has created needles capable of high speed stitching.
Existing sewing machines need fast, precise, two-dimensional feeding mechanisms that are demanded for the mass production of shirts and other articles of clothing requiring buttonholes. Needs have long existed for low maintenance, highly efficient feeding mechanisms for automatic industrial sewing machines.